Our experience with market-available ground-level camera support equipment was disappointing at best and led us to develop what we believe is the strongest, most versatile, feature-rich ground and tabletop tripod obtainable: our TP-243. We wanted a height-adjustable device that would handle 500/600mm/f4 lenses with aplomb, manage practically any type of terrain, allow our BH-55 or BH-40 ballheads to get as low to the ground/deck as possible, handle the grime of working in the dirt, be field-strippable, and most tellingly, withstand abusive airport baggage handlers! We wanted intuitive, quick operation and as always, we insisted on aesthetically pleasing lines.

We ruled out carbon fiber for three reasons: 1) carbon fiber is not abrasion resistant and does not handle abuse well; 2) we wanted more heft – weight is a two edged sword in that we like light weight for carrying, but nothing trumps mass for stability and we like as much weight as practical for steadily handling telephoto/macro equipment; 3) vibration-dampening aspect of carbon fiber is of minimal benefit for a tripod this short.

Reversible bottom leg sections have a stainless steel point at one end for rugged outdoor use and a rubber tip on the other end for indoor/table-top use. Spring-loaded stop-button is depressed for easy removal.